The Love of the Death Boy
by RabidGoldfish333
Summary: The title basically explains the theme. Spoilers from Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Titan's Curse, The Battle of the Labyrinth, The Last Olympian, and The Lost Hero.
1. The Underworldly Diva

As I wander through the underworld, I wonder why I came here. It's not like I do it often. I used to but now that there's not very much stress, I don't need the place I think clearest. I only come here when I need to, because a place surrounded by death isn't the kind of place you want to spend your life. I have an eternity waiting for me here anyway. This place is still how I remember it, a crowded, dark, lifeless cave. Except for me. As of now I am the only life that resides here. Well, me and the plants that can trap even the gods here forever. I try to stay away from those. I don't want to spend the remainder of my life here, no matter how small the number of days.

Of course, I could find out. I don't want to, but I'm a child of Hades. It's hard to say no to me. I can be very… persuasive. Let's face it, I'm the son of the Greek devil, for Zeus's sake! I can kill, read death, feel death, and summon dead. I'm not very friendly, either. I have a three foot long tool of death that I haul everywhere. So I don't exactly fit in the most alluring on the list. On any list, not even the half-blood list. I'm angry, secretive, and I'm hard to deal with. It takes even the bravest souls, like Percy, bless his heart, to be around with me.

See, me and Percy have a hard past. I liked him, everyone for that matter, my sister died, I blamed him, he saved my life, tried to help me and I never did anything that helped him. Well, minor things, ones that didn't really matter. I did bust him out of jail so he could become invincible. Of course, I _was_the reason he was in there. And he had to drag me out of the underworld and protect me from an army of the dead. So that just makes me owe him more. So, yeah, I'm _very _hard to put up with.

Bianca tries to tell me I'm not all bad, that if I feel this guilty about it then that means I have a heart. She even tells me if I get cleaned up then I might be kind of cute. In the 'mysterious but alluring way' she says. But, hey, what is my sister supposed to say?

I silently size up all the work that would take. I would start with a bath. Wash all the grunge off of me, all the way down to the dirt in my fingernails. Get some new clothes. They could look raged but they can't be actually raged. My face, oh the scars. Everywhere, really. I think they add character, but the magazines in the bathrooms at camp say that scars on the face aren't attractive. They also say that too many scars make guys look dangerous. They say a 'polished' look is best. And that big muscles are a sign that says 'I'll protect you'. I don't know why the Aphrodite cabin leaves their magazines next to the toilets, but it needs to stop because they're jacked up. I know guys that have big muscles who couldn't care less about girls. Do girls actually believe that? 'Do you care?' says the the regular Nico. The disturbing thing is I think I do. I'm not scrawny, but my muscles aren't as big around as my head. I have an eight pack, you have to if actually participate in sword fighting. Would girls still go for me? 'Stop thinking that, Nico' There's the voice of reason 'If you think it you'll start to believe it'. Good point. This isn't the kind of thoughts that usually run through my head. Just another sign something big's about to happen. I wonder…

A moan awakens me from the wondering. Good thing, too. I look over to where the groan came from. The Field of Punishment, now that I'm focused I can hear all the groaning. The whole chorus now. It's loud, hard to believe I couldn't hear it just a moment before. How loud was the groan that awakened me? I absent-mindedly walk towards Elysium. And while I do, I can't help but think about my hair.


	2. The Demon of Elysium

Elysium. Oh, the smell of happy afterlife. The village I'm in is full of beautiful houses from different times. They're all different. No two the same. Flowers blooming everywhere. They're not my thing, but they're amazing. If you touch one, it turns to your favorite color. As of now, they create a rainbow of bright colors. I gently touch a big one. I'm surprised when it doesn't die. It would have come back to life anyway. Everything does in Elysium. Instead, it turns black, and it is the only black flower in the whole rainbow. I wonder if there has ever been another black rose in the bed before. I guess I'll have to keep wondering. I stray through the village.

Everywhere are happy people. I always wondered how you could be happy if you knew you could never leave. You could never follow your dreams, so you couldn't have any. And they seem to be ecstatic. I cringe at the sight of a small child running on the cobblestone. I'm not disgusted by the fact that she is in Elysium, but more of the fact she is dead. It startles me that she can be so dead, yet seem so alive. But everyone here seems like that. I keep myself walking. I look around. A barbecue here, party there. Pool, banquet, dance. Always a celebration. Nowhere can I find the slightest ounce of hurt.

I go to the forest because obviously I can count on no happy dead people being there. I am amazed by how much my dad has upgraded this place. It has more visible life than real forests. I can easily spot squirrels and birds. I come to a creek and wade in it. The water here is even clearer than the water of Earth. Maybe this is what all water looked like originally. I guess that's why Pan is so desperate. If it can go from this to that, I don't want to see what will happen next. I step out of the stream, put my shoes on, and start walking. I stop soon because I faintly see a figure. I don't see anything now. Then it moves, and I see it as its camouflage has to readjust. It's a deer. In a millisecond it is invisible again. I don't know why it's playing chameleon. There is nothing here to catch it. I follow it. After a while I realize it is branded. It has the sword of Hades stamped on its side. This deer is for sport. Someone is in the woods, looking for the deer I am with. This means I will have company. Someone important if they could convince my father to make a specially camouflaged deer for them.

I think about who it could be. Not Beckondorf or Selena. They don't hunt. Luke is going to try rebirth, last I heard. I keep pondering ideas. The deer lies in the grass and the camouflage readjusts. I position myself behind a tree, which wouldn't help if they came from behind me but it will have to do. I'm not sure if I want to be confronted by someone I may or may not know. Really the only person I wouldn't mind being confronted by is my sister. But she doesn't hunt. She would have told me, right?

I'm wondering about how much sense this makes, when someone appears in the open 200 feet away. I can't see her clearly. Only enough to tell she is a girl. She seems familiar, and radiates royalty. She looks around thirteen, my age. She has long, silky black hair, which is now braided down her back. She is tall, not as tall as me, but only by a couple of inches. She has beautiful cocoa skin. She's graceful, too.

The deer doesn't move until she is within 50 feet of it. It moves and she immediately whips around her bow and shoots it. It falls to the ground 30 feet in front of me and turns silver. She walks by it and pulls out the arrow. It burst back to life and sprints off camouflaged.

She turns in my direction and I see why the face seems so familiar. Because with her upturned nose and beautiful face brings memories of the Hunters of Artemis. When my sister was one of them. She was the lieutenant. The one I remember hating. The one who hated me. Hated Apollo. Hated Percy. The one who took my sister to be a hunter. The one who lead her on the quest. The quest where she died for a figurine. One she had taken for me. I take the statue out of my pocket and stare at it as tears run down my cheeks. I am just about to run out of this mess. To run and tell Percy about the demon I saw in the Underworld. To tell him of the demon that triggered my memories. But when I look up she has her black eyes nailed on me, only feet from my body.


	3. Stories and Secrets

Zoe Nightshade. She's a bit nicer than I remember. And I finally got to hear her story. The story of betrayal and heartbreak. Of loss and fading. Of outcast and death. She told me the story of her painful immortal life, and I told her mine. So this is how the conversation went.

"What's thy name?" Zoe said.

"I'm not gonna hurt you,"I said.

"Well, duh," She remarked.

"What are thee doing here?"

Hard to reply since I didn't have an answer.

"I got a feeling," I didn't know what else to say.

"Thy are not dead are thee?"

"No"

"Then how are thy here? Where did thy come from? And why do thee look so familiar?"

"Long story." I tried to get out of it, but she wasn't going to have it.

"Tell me anyway."

"Well, I'm here because I was in the underworld, and I didn't like Asphodel that much so I thought I come here. Everyone was too happy so I went into the forest, found your deer and followed it. I came from New York. I live there, not at Camp Half-Blood, but around the area. I kind of scavenge. I don't really live anywhere in particular. And I look familiar, Zoe," I glance at her and she looks puzzled. She doesn't say anything but her look obviously says 'How does he know my name' or however you would say it in her accent. "Because my sister was a huntress. You worked with her, her name was-"

"Bianca" She interrupts, "Oh my, you are... umm...I can't remember... I'm sorry!"

"Nico di Angelo."

"Zoe Nightshade,"

"You were the lieutenant. And your not just a half-blood are you?"

"I'm a full blooded Titan." A full blooded Titan. Just like Kronos. And Krios. And Prometheus. "So who are your parents?" I interrogate.

"Atlas and Pleione, she gave me the sword that Percy now has."

"Riptide?"

"Yes, I gave it to Hercules, and it passed down from there until now." I try to trap that in my mind. Pleione, Zoe, Hercules, whoever else, Chiron, Percy. Wow. Some sword. "And I was a hesperide. The fourth. I got kicked out for helping Hercules steal a golden apple from Hera's tree. So I joined the Hunters of Artemis. I couldn't put up with boys after what Hercules did to me. And then the quest came and Percy wasn't all that bad. And I had hopes that Bianca would be the next lieutenant. Then she died for something. And then I got bit by my favorite dragon and slapped by my father. I just wish Bianca wouldn't have died." I take the figurine out of my pocket. I look at it and imagine Bianca taking this. Then getting electrocuted to save everyone else.

"She died for this. She wanted to give it to me."

"It's one of those things, from that card game."

"The one I don't play anymore."

"Well...It is all right. She's here in Elysium somewhere. All Hunters of Artemis are." She actually sounded like she felt sorry. This didn't sound like the Zoe I remembered. But I can play along.

"I still talk to her." I say

"Really? Would you tell her I said I'm sorry I pushed her to come on that quest? And where I am if she ever wants to visit me?" She seems sad. And sincere, so I nod.

"Absolutely."

"I feel like it was all my fault. That if I hadn't urged her, she would still be alive. That if she hadn't been rushed, then maybe she could have learnt more of quests before she experienced one. And then maybe she would be breathing. And in her body. And we would know where it was." She is looking down but I can hear the tears in her voice. Last time I saw her she seemed so strong. Now she seems hurt and vulnerable.

"I made Percy promise to keep her safe. And when he told me what happened I blamed him. I burned the cards, and started summoning spirits. I was so consumed in grief and sadness, that I had to demolish it in anger and hatred. I tried to bring her back to life. But it didn't work. My ghost betrayed me, and tried to bring himself to life instead. We defeated him. Percy then summoned her and they convinced me I refused to believe Bianca had caused her own death. I calmed down and helped out with the war. I convinced my father to help. Then we were acknowledged. And the people accept us now. The living. It's just a matter of finding who I like." She's looking at me now. I can't even pretend to know what she's thinking. Her eyes are a little bigger than normal. She stands up. She offers her hand, and I take it although I have no clue where we're going.

When I ask she says "Bianca isn't going to summon herself."


	4. There Goes 'Heartless'

"Can you summon the dead in the underworld?" I ask.

"Well, if we can't we will just have to find her."

"Uumm...Don't you think that would be a lot of work?" I can't think of why I don't want to do this, perhaps it's the uncertainty of what will happen when we find Bianca, but I feel like it's probably a bad idea. She stares at me with those intense black eyes, and it's obvious she isn't budging.

"Help me dig a hole," She orders

"Alright." I grab a shovel even though I could easily order some skeletons to do it, but I have a feeling Zoe wouldn't like that very much. She wants the whole thing to be her experience. She wouldn't exactly want some skeletons to steal it from her, now would she? So I suck it up and start digging. I keep shoveling for about half an hour, wondering if this will ever work. I look up at Zoe to see if her faith in this has diminished yet. She looks tired. She stops digging and takes a breath, then keeps digging and her motivation prevails. I start digging again. I look up about five minutes later and see that she is leaning on her shovel breathing heavily.

"Want to take a break?" I ask, and she is a little hesitant before she sits down in the grass. I sit by her because, honestly, I've wanted a break for the past fifteen minutes. I look over and notice a tear running down her cheek. I pretend not to notice.

"So why do you want to find her so badly?" I ask after a minute. You can hear the hurt in her voice when she says

"Bianca's death was my fault. I pushed her too hard. She wasn't ready, and she made mistakes. The mistakes were my fault, and they killed her. I never got to apologize. It has been four years, and I still do not know what she thinks about it. I need to apologize, at the least. I need to help her if there is anyway I can." I realize what she's doing. I'm so familiar with it that it almost haunts me to think of it. Because what she is doing, when I did it, almost ruined a lot of things, not just in my life. It would have brought an evil, power crazed king back to life. There's no telling how many people he would have killed. There would have went all my hopes of ever fitting in, and probably my hopes of living to the age of thirty. I guess when Bianca died we had to blame someone. I blamed Percy, and she blames herself. She can't do this. It will tear her apart. "Zoe, It wasn't your fault. She convinced me of it. She told me I shouldn't blame Percy. That it was solely her fault. You can't do this to yourself. You'll lose it."

She's really crying now. Silently. Tears are streaming down her face but if you weren't looking at her you wouldn't notice. She tries to talk, but it comes out as a sobbing whisper "It- It was. Sh-sh-she, my f-fault. Poor B-Bianca, dead. It w-was-" I stop her. I can't stand it. I do something no one would ever guess the heartless Hades boy would do. I wrap my arms around the girl I barely know. I hold the Demon of Elysium. I hold her against my chest and assure her it wasn't her fault. I tell her these things even though I know she doesn't want to hear it. And as she sobs against me, soaking my shirt, I don't care. I don't care about my shirt, don't care about how soft I may look, don't care about if anyone has seen me, and I don't care about the consequences if they have. I feel like I know her, even though I barely do. Maybe it's because we both grieve over Bianca's death, but I feel like I need to protect her. The only thing that really matters to me right now is that she feels okay. That she finds her peace. I can only think of one way to do that. I whisper to her "We will find Bianca. Even if I'm sent to Tartarus trying."


	5. All Living, Half Dead

I see the skeleton coming up the hill holding a few boxes of McDonald's happy meals. "Do you always use happy meals?" Zoe asked. You can still hear the sadness in her voice, but the cry helped her, and the eagerness is masking most of the other emotions. "No, but that's what I usually use. It's sort of a, umm, tradition. If Bianca can tell it's a happy meal, she'll know it's me." She nods.

The skeleton is only about fifteen feet away. "Oh, and one more thing," I turn to her "If you ever run into Percy, don't tell him I still do this. He thinks I stopped." She smirks. "Hard to believe Hades's boy doesn't do what he's told." This gets a laugh out of me. I've got to admit, she's got charm.

The skeleton arrives and hands me the food. He hands it to me, and makes some rumbling noises that I, of course, understand. "No, that will be all" I say to the skeleton. More rumbling noises. "Tip? Why do you need a tip? You're dead." He rumbles something about going out a lot. I look over to Zoe and she's trying hard not to laugh. I shake my head slightly as I hand him ten dollars, but honestly, I have to hold my breath to keep from laughing.

I go over to the pit, and Zoe follows me. I dump the first happy meal in the hole and she objects. "Can I do it?" She asks. "Yeah" I watch as she pours all the food into the ground. "Okay," I say "Take my sword and you hold back all the spirits. Don't let them drink unless I tell you to," I take my sword out of my scabbard and hand it to her. She nods and goes to the other side of the pit. I start chanting.

I chant in ancient Greek, the language of the demigods. The chanting is eerie to most people. They want it to stop, because it's 'unnatural'. Well, yeah. Summoning the dead is the most unnatural thing you can do. It scares living things. They don't like it because all human instincts tell us to avoid death at all costs. But I am half death. My father is the ultimate lord of death. So I'm not like normal living things. I'm half dead. And I was born that way. All living, but half dead. And I've become more dead over time. As I lost things, and grew up. It's not easy, and it never will be. The easiest part of life is death. And the afterlife isn't the part of death that I'm talking about. I'm talking about the actual act of dying. That is the easiest part of life. To let go of all the suffering. And to know that, finally, everyone gets what they deserve. Life isn't fair. Death is. You wouldn't think that. But the judges make sure of it. They make sure that you get what you deserve. And even if you don't like it, it was fair. Maybe that's part of why people are scared of death. Maybe they're scared to face reality that their life is over and they did nothing, and will get payback for it. But I'm not scared of death. Because I am half dead. All living and half dead.


	6. Something I didn't

The spirits are lined up at the other side of the pit. I go over and look at them. No one else would be able to see what they looked like in life, except for other spirits. I see faces, names, and memories, but they mean nothing. These people are dead, and so their memories don't matter anymore. To them death is their life for the rest of eternity. They feel alive, but they have less rights, or whatever you want to call them. But if someone summons them, if they drink or eat the food of the living, they will become themselves again; somewhat. And if someone releases them from the underworld, death seems like a dream. Only then will their memories of life have any real use. All most can do is dwell on it for most of eternity.

I search the faces. They hold stories and secrets, but none of them are anything like the ones I'm searching for. I search for Bianca. Or anyone I know, for that matter. I've been shaken by the arrival of demon lieutenant Zoe because she's brought back bad memories. Like the dead, all I can do is dwell on them. So I need someone, anyone, who can bring back some good memories. I know it's a fat chance, seeing that I barely have any memories not of war or death.

But I have to believe, right? That's the only thing that's really ever gotten me through anything. That and grudges.

Instincts took over. My thoughts were working like a radio station, all on its own. My mind was sending out a wave that would go to Bianca's spirit. It said "Bianca. It's me, Nico. I have Zoe here. She wanted to talk." It sent it over and over.

"Bianca will come," I assured her. We waited. After a few minutes, she emerged. She sort of floated out of the ground. She took a drink, and the other spirits left at her command. She wore jeans and a silver hunter's jacket, just like Zoe. Her dark hair was down, and her green cap was on her head. She looked just like she always did. "And will" I thought.

"Hello" Bianca said. She addressed Zoe as if she were still her leader. "I understand you wanted to talk." She stated. Zoe looked like she was about to break down. She was speechless. All she could do was cry. She was basically paralyzed. She started talking. Not exactly talking. "Bianca-" She sputtered. "I'm so sorry-" "Don't be," Bianca said "My choice. No one else's." Bianca seemed on guard. Maybe it's the power, and that I'm her brother, and I'm closer to her. It seemed a little weird...Like she knew something I didn't...


	7. Questions

The whole conversation was awkward. I felt like an intruder. Zoe was crying and apologizing. Bianca was reluctant, as if she knew some big secret and wasn't supposed to tell. She answered questions, told how she had felt when she died, and tried to make Zoe understand it wasn't her fault.

Since I was only standing there, I tried to figure out why my sister was so guarded. I think of several things, but nothing makes sense. Except for one thing. She has to know something. And she is trying to keep it from us. It has to be a dangerous secret. If we knew it would cause some sort of problem. But what? What knowledge does she obtain that would be harmful if we found out? I keep trying to come up with ideas but I couldn't think of anything. Anything I did think of didn't make sense.

'I give up' I think and I tune back into the conversation. Zoe looked like she was getting a little annoyed by Bianca's stand off-ish nature. "Well, I think it would be a good idea if you processed this," Bianca said uncertainly, "I'll be going." "Bianca, wait." I said. "Can I talk to you?" She reluctantly walks with me.

"Why are you so guarded? I mean, you act like you're in a mine field, and something horrible will happen if you say the wrong thing."

"I'm not sure what you're talking about," she says.

"Yes you do," I bark, "If there is something going on you should tell me. I want to know what's wrong. If you tell me maybe I can help by, I don't know, not screwing up? The chances are lower if I know what's happening."

"No, they're not. The Fates will make sure of it. I'm not supposed to know, and I am definitely not supposed to tell anyone."

"Can you give me a hint?" I smile and give her the face I used to when we were kids, so she would let me play one more game before we went to bed.

"No, Nico! I can't go against the Fates! I'll end up in the Fields of Punishment!"

"Alright, but can you tell me one little thing?" I ask, and I play my puppy face for all it's worth. She sighs.

"How little?"

"Just tell me why you're acting like Zoe's dangerous?" She looks troubled, like she can't tell me the truth, but she can't bear to lie to me.

"Zoe's just... important." She looks eased, like this meets both her morals.

"Bianca, what-" "

I'm sorry, Nico. I can't tell you anymore. Goodbye. I love you. I'll see you soon." And she vanishes before I can ask any questions.

"I love you," I say as I walk back to face questions I don't have answers to.


	8. I Argue With Myself

First, Zoe, naturally, asked what was said. I, also naturally, lied. I told her "I said we needed to talk more. That's all. "

"So did you find out why she was acting the way she was?" She asked.

"No'" I lied, "but I'd guess it's because she still looks to you as a leader." She looked curious and disappointed.

"Maybe." she said. I felt bad about lying, but I thought about telling her. 'Oh yeah. Bianca said that she had to watch what she said so that she didn't upset the Fates. That you had something to do with my future. Nothing important.' Yeah, that's a great idea. That won't do anyone any good. So I'll just let her believe I don't know anything. Because honestly, I don't. Whatever happens will happen, and telling her won't change it.

"So do you feel any better?" I ask.

"It's just nice to know that she is happy" She answers, obviously still thinking about what Bianca's hiding. "I am glad I got to see her, too."

Now, you've got to understand, I'm not to good with this people thing. I've basically been winging it the whole time. But I was coming to a dead end. I had no ideas.

'Do something! Say something!' I thought.

Then there was regular Nico 'Who cares what she thinks. You should make up some excuse and leave. You're only straining yourself.'

'But it helps her' I argued.

'So? Normal Nico would be too uncomfortable with the situation and leave.'

'But how would that affect my future? I mean, if she's so important and all, what would happen if I left her alone?' Silence.

'You know something, too!' I thought-yelled at my conscience. 'Tell me! Why do you want me to leave? What will happen?'

Still nothing.

'Aaaahh!' There was something going on. Something important. Bianca knew. My conscience knew. The gods knew. But what would happen? What was going on? All I knew is that Zoe's important. And if I leave, I will never get to find out why. I had something to gain if I left though. At least, my conscience did. Why would he be trying to get me to leave her if he didn't? But what would he gain? I was completely lost. But I know is I'm staying here. Because if I don't I will never find out what's going on. And you know it would kill me if I didn't know. So I turn to the future. And I talk to her.


	9. Percy? Not talking? It Can't Be True!

Zoe wasn't very thrilled when I told her I wanted to leave. But she allowed it. I told her I would be back, that I just needed to talk to someone. And soon I found myself at Camp Half-Blood. Everyone was startled. I just appeared. Plus, it's me. I don't show up at camp much. And no one really minds. I have one person in particular I want to talk to, but I decide to stray from my journey, and talk to Percy.

"Hey Nico!" Percy said as soon as he saw me. He told his swords fighting class to take five.

"We don't see the walking dead around her often. What's up?"

"I've got to talk to someone in a minute, but I thought I'd stop by here first."

"It's nice to see you. Well, what's been going on lately?"

"Some weird things have been happening. I ran into Zoe. She was crushed about what happened to Bianca." Percy looked worried. "So we summoned her."

"Nico, I don't think that was a good idea. I mean, if it starts again, it could get out of control. Well, you know what happened last time."

"No, I just wanted Zoe to know it wasn't her fault. The only weird thing was Bianca was acting strange. Like if she said the wrong thing there would be serious consequences. I asked her what was wrong and she said that me knowing wouldn't change anything. That the Fates would make sure of it. I kept asking her things, and she said Zoe's just important. Then she looked satisfied. Like she wasn't lying, but it was something she could get away with. Then my conscience was trying to get me to leave Zoe in the Underworld. I'm going back, but I've got something to gain if I don't."

Percy was thinking hard. about a minute later, he shook his head. "I'll ask Annabeth. Maybe she can think of something."

"Thanks Percy." He paused.

"So who are you going to talk to?" He asked.

"Rachel."

And I think that was the only time I've ever seen him at a loss of words...


	10. A Talk with The Oracle

It's a nice cave. It was in the side of the hill. Swords and bones scattered the ground. It didn't bother me. It felt kind of homey. I picked up a sword. Nice. Bronze on one side, steel on the other. It was about four feet long. I remembered something I heard about this place once 'All the swords and bones are from the dead people of important prophecies'. I couldn't remember where I heard it, but I knew this sword was important. Then I saw an emblem. _A scythe _. I realized why the sword was important. It was Luke's sword. Then it was Kronos' scythe. It must have turned back into a sword when Kronos was sent back to Tartarus. I stared at it. I hadn't seen the blade up close before. Now it seemed wicked. Like I was staring at the heart of all evil. The era of it was getting to me. Then I calmed myself down. I thought this blade's history was over. That it would no longer play a part in the killing of demigods. That it wouldn't hurt anyone again, because it would just lay here in this yard with a hundred others. I thought about that for a few minutes. I was almost sure of it. But something told me I was wrong. I was hesitant to set the sword down, but I did.

I went into the cave, and briskly brushed past the velvet, snake embroidered curtains. There she was. She was painting. The canvas was turned toward the other side of the wall, so she wasn't looking directly at the entrance, but I could see her face well enough in the afternoon light. Her jeans said a bunch of weird stuff. I could see little hearts, quotes, **RACHEL** spelled in big bubble letters colored in orange, and a bunch of random stuff like that. She was wearing a Camp Half-Blood shirt, and a purple head scarf, like they did in the 70's. I wasn't sure, but I thought she might have adopted the style from the old oracle, because she was from around that time. Even though she was two years older than me, I was taller by a couple of inches. And way stronger. She looked peaceful, and it seemed wrong to disturb her.

"Tell my fortune?" I asked. She jumped. She closed her eyes and turned towards me. She opened her mouth like she was going to say something, and her eyes followed its example. Then her eyes got wide.

"No!" She yelled at me

"What'd I do?"

"I've seen you're future." I was stunned.

"Wait, seriously?"

"Well, parts of it. It's not good. And you really shouldn't-never mind"

"What?"

"A host to the Oracle shouldn't reveal what the Oracle won't. It would completely change the course of history."

"Uuugh."

"Just do what you feel you should do."

"Rachel, tell me what's going on."

"No."

She was completely set on not telling me. But that's okay. I've got a few tricks up my sleeve.


	11. I Fight a Wimpy, All Seeing Psychic

"Okay. Alright." I started summoning a hellhound right there.

She stared at me. "Woah. What are you doing?"

I reply "Summoning a hellhound. What's it look like I'm doing?"

"No, no, no!" She yelled.

"How are you gonna stop me?"

She came at me, but didn't land a single punch. I manage to grab both her hands. I look at her smugly.

"Now how are you gonna stop me?"

She glowered at me. "I'm gonna lick you."

"What?"

And sure enough there was her tongue, viciously trying to attack me. I laughed like an idiot.

"Quit! Stop! That's gross!" I yell at her through my laughing.

Rachel mimics my voice and says "How are you gonna stop me?"

"You're ridiculous!"

She comes at me again. I yell and try to wriggle away.

'You know what?' I think 'It's time to bite back.'

I come forward while she's not expecting it, and bite her tongue.

"Ow!" She says with her tongue still out of her mouth.

"Ready to give up?" I ask.

"Never!" she yells.

"You're so stubborn."

I grab her arms and drag her over to her stool. Yeah, it was that easy. I grab her arms and hold them together with one hand, and wrap a scarf around her mouth with the other. She tries to get up, but I sit on her.

"Do I win yet?" I ask impatiently.

"No!" You can still hear her perfectly through the scarf. I sigh and sit ther while she tires herself out trying to get up. After about thirty minutes, she gives up.

"Finally." I say. I let go of her hands and she unties the scarf.

"You gonna get off me?" she asks.

"No. You might run away and tell someone I'm forcing you to tell me the future."

She looks at me and sighs. "Alright. If you can get the Oracle to speak, I can't stop you."

I get up and, to my surprise, she stays.

"Oracle, tell me what I need to know."

I wait. Silence.

"Oh, very funny."

"It's because you don't need to know anything." Rachel says.

"Alright," I say, "Oracle, tell me my destiny."

And the voice of the Oracle begins to speak...


	12. Circles

"I can't tell you much." The voice says. It doesn't sound anything like Rachel. It sounds raspy, like it isn't used to talking. For some reason it reminds me of snakes. The green mist around me seems to resemble a snake, too. Like at any moment it could wrap around me like an anaconda and strangle me. "And, of course, it will be in the form of a riddle."

"Oh, yay. Riddles." I say to the body of Rachel.

The voice chuckles. "Well, aren't you refreshing. It's a shame you'll die so soon. But, then again, what was I to expect, a thousand years? Mortals, such short lives. Half-bloods. Even shorter. Exciting, though, mmh? Yours, especially. Sixty years in The Lotus Casino. Come out. Your sister dies. Try to bring her back from the dead. Evil ghost tries to bring himself back instead. Titan war. Convince your father to fight in it. Well, as stubborn as you may be, he far outruns you. And this time he isn't budging."

"Wait, what? He isn't budging? About what? The Obama thing? But, we've come to an agreement on that. What are you being stupid about this time?" I yell at the ground.

"Actually," The Oracle informed me, "It is you who will be stupid. And full of pride and ignorance. You bite off more than you can chew, but you do it for the right reasons."

"What are you talking about?" I grit my teeth at the body of Rachel. Stupid Oracle, telling me what I can't do. Restrictions are for babies. I'm no baby. I'm a killing machine. I'll tear apart whatever tells me what I can't do.

"Alright, prophecy," The voice says. She starts to speak in a rhythmic way. I try to calm myself, so that I will hear the lines, instead of my screaming thoughts.  
>"Boundaries broken, voices heard,<br>Pain, tears, and the angered,  
>Love and death both overwhelm,<br>As you return to Hades' realm."

The mist starts to recede, and I panic. "Wait! What do you mean? What's going to happen? How can I fix it?" And of course there is no answer. "Fine. I don't need you. I'll figure it out myself."

I'm still steaming when Rachel revives from her blackout.

"What happened?" She asks

"Nothing that will help me. Just some chat and then a prophecy. Even when the Oracle isn't telling riddles, she talks in circles."

"Tell me. Maybe I can think of something."

You can't. It's just pointless jabber. And a couple of things that predict an argument between me and my father."

"Tell me anyway?"

I tell her.

"Hmm... Maybe during the argument he wants to torture you by filling your head with thoughts of your loved ones deaths when you enter the underworld to pursue them. Maybe that's what the last two lines mean. And, obviously, you have a fight with your father. That would explain the first two lines. And what she said about him not budging." It seems like this would be exactly what happens. The whole thing is planned and fits with the prophecy. Other than the fact that we don't know what we are fighting about. But something tells me this isn't right. But I'm not sure why.

"Maybe." I tell her "I'm going to go. I promised Zoe I'd be back."

"Be careful. She said.

On my way out I took a good look at the cave. I looked down. There was Luke's old sword. Something urged me to pick it up. Something told me I would need it. I tried to fight the urge, and then a voice inside me said 'Don't pick it up!' So I picked it up and ran.


	13. Hades' Boy

As I entered the Underworld, I was still thinking about the steps I could take to avoid this mess. But I knew it was impossible. '_The Fates will make sure of it,'_ Bianca had said. So there was no changing it. I couldn't keep myself from wondering if maybe I could change it. Maybe Bianca was mistaken.

There was a bark and I looked up. I'd already gotten to the gates. I guess I hadn't noticed. I know this place so well that I could navigate it with my eyes closed. Wow, that's a depressing thought. I've spent so much of my life in the underworld that I could navigate it with my eyes closed! What a freak. I'll think about my loser-ish qualities later.

Anyway, There was a giant dog in front of me. He was a rottweiler. He was lean, and if I didn't know him so well, he might have been scarier than the fact you were in the underworld. He had crazy sharp teeth. And if he growled at you the world would seem hopeless. Like it didn't matter. And it wouldn't, because you were about to be killed by Cerberus, the death dog.

His middle head had its tongue out, while the other two heads were still on duty. Better fix that. "Cerberus!" I called in my puppy voice. The other heads turned with their tongues out, while the middle head barked. He gets all excited and starts jumping. "Hey boy! Hey! You miss me? Huh, You miss me?" I start to rub his leg. He lies on his back with his legs sticking up in the air. All three of his heads pant happily. "Who's my big, scary dog?" I say as I rub his belly. "You are! Yes, you are! You wanna torture some living people?" He barks as if this would make him happy. "You do? Aw, what a good boy! Are you Hades' boy? Yes! You're a good Hades' boy, too! Don't tell, but I think you're the favorite! Yeah! Yeah!" He starts rolling around and I laugh as I avoid getting crushed. "Come here, boy. I want you to guard this place, okay? Guard it really hard. Good boy." I smile at him. "I've got to go see somebody." He licks me and I think of Mrs. O'Leary back at camp. It doesn't matter which one you go see. The outcome will always be monster dog slobber. Well, if you're me. "Bye. Cerberus." I say, and he watches me leave before he goes back to guarding.

Um, yeah. I'm a dog person.


	14. Tempting Beauty

I made my way back to Zoe. I was in no mood to talk about horrid prophecies, arguments with Hades, or love and death, but it looked like I was going to have to. Hoorah. Just what I need, someone else feeling sorry for me, trying to come up with a plan, and ways to fix it, when there isn't any way to avoid a prophecy. Just when Cerberus had cheered me up, I was going to have to relive the horrible foretellings.

'Why can't I be normal?' I thought as I walked through the entrance of Elysium, 'Just a simple son of Apollo? No, someone who's not an airhead. A minor god perhaps. There's not much excitement in those cabins unless something huge is going on. Or maybe a mortal. Nothing exciting happens at all. I'd be in a retirement home, or dead by now. I'd be seventy something. And I'd go to Asphodel. Or maybe the Fields. I'm kind of a scrooge.' I sigh. Well, no changing any of that now. I'm Hades' kid, whether I like it or not. Most days it's not so bad, but some days, like today, it feels like I'm destined to have a vile life.

There was Zoe. She was looking at me, and you could tell she was curious. About time to start explaining.

"Hey," I say as I sit on the rock with her.

"Hi," She looks me over as if deciphering my body language, "What happened?"

Here we go.

"Well," I start as I run my hand through my hair, exasperated, "I saw Percy, and told him what happened. He said he would see if Annabeth could figure anything out. Then I saw Rachel, the new Oracle. She was trying to fight me so she wouldn't have to tell me what was going to happen. I beat her, and the the Oracle came out. Ugh, the Oracle." I lay back on the rock, and cover my eyes with my hands.

Zoe leaned over me. I couldn't see her, I just.. I could tell. She asked, "It was that bad?" I nod my head. She goes silent, and I can't tell what she's thinking. I don't mind. I like the quiet time to think. Or sleep. I really didn't care. The day had tired me out emotionally and physically. All this thinking, memories, and prophecies had simply drained me. It killed me to imagine what was next. I was ready to sleep. But, of course, I had to explain what the Oracle had said. And by the time I was done with that I might pass out.

I told her the rest. I uncovered my eyes so I could see her face. She was in deep thought. Her eyebrows were pushed together, and she was frowning. I'm not sure how, but she even made that look beautiful. I was so tired, and so ready to go on instinct. I wanted to pull her to my chest and sleep there. I knew she would freak out. I knew she would get up and leave. Then I wouldn't have anyone who might understand. Everyone else said maybe you can fix it or maybe it's not as bad as t seems. I don't want that, I want someone who will say they don't know what will happen. Someone who will admit they're clueless. I want the TRUTH. And someone who will give me a straight answer. My instincts would ruin every hope I had of her doing that. So I would have to suck it up. No matter how hard it would be.


	15. Zoe opens up, I give in

It took Zoe a few minutes to say something. She thought for a while, looking up at me every minute or so. But that was perfectly fine by me. The more she thought the more I could think, and the less I had to say. I'm pretty sure if I said much, I would give away my crush. My will power was crumbling away with my energy. I wasn't too excited when she started talking. I hoped she would just stay quiet until I went to sleep. But I wasn't going to get out that easily.

"That reeks." She tells me as she emerges from thought.

"Reeks? You mean like 'that sucks'?"

"Whatever these mortals say."

"Zoe, you're so weird. Or however these prehistorics say it? Odd? Bizarre? Something like that." I smile at her. I'm surprised she smiles back. "You take my sarcasm well."

"You appreciate everything when you're dead."

"Do you care to explain?" I ask.

She breathes. "I have no regrets. Things turned out the way they should have, but sometimes I wish the Fates would play it a little differently. I don't know anyone in Elysium. I don't socialize. You're the first person I've talked to since I died." I must have looked pretty funny, because she giggled. "I was afraid everyone would find me cruel and uncaring, because that's what everyone thought when I was alive. I thought being rejected would crush me. I mean, I DO have a soul, you know.' She looked at me accusingly, and I couldn't help but smile. "I guess being alone has softened me to other people, because I've come to appreciate their company."

I can't believe she's just telling me all of this. She's just opening up, as if it's the most natural thing she's ever done. She continues. "I probably would have gone forever without talking to anyone if you hadn't found me. It was refreshing being able to talk to someone. And I'm kind of glad it was you. I'm glad it was someone who knew me when I was living, no matter how short and unpleasant a time it was."

I'm not sure what to say to this. I sit and take this in, as I shake my head and stare at her. It's so unexpected, and I'm so exhausted and emotionally drained. I give in. I take Zoe, and I lay in the grass with her on my chest. I hold her as the cavern roof turns to the shadows of my eyelids.


	16. One Mystery Down

I woke up the next morning with Zoe still on my chest. I couldn't help but wonder, what did she think? Not just about this, but about me. Did she think I was crazy? Did she feel the same way about me that I felt about her? Of course not. I haven't seen one sign of interest ever since I met her. I really shouldn't have gone along with my heart. I should have played it safe. She would wake up and tell me she didn't feel that way about me. I threw my head back. I wish I hadn't let my instincts take over. I wish I would have just kept things the way they were. Plus, I don't need this drama. I've got other things going on. I had this huge fight with my dad coming up soon. Then whatever the rest of the prophecy was supposed to be about.

At least I've got one mystery solved. Now I know why Bianca wasn't friendly towards Zoe. She wanted me to be cautious, too. So I didn't fall for her. She wanted me to think Zoe was an enemy so I didn't trust her. That way I wouldn't get my heart broken. But I was going to. Why hadn't I gotten out of the underworld? I never would have gotten into this mess. I should have made some excuse to leave. And just never came back. There was no way she could track me down. She was limited to Elysium. I could have went on with my life. But it's too late now. Now my heart is going to be broken. Just as soon-

And her eyes open.


	17. Blonde

"Hi." Zoe says. She gets up and sits on a rock.

"Hey." I say back.

There's a silence while both of us wait for the other to say something. I guess she wasn't eager about breaking my heart. Just like I wasn't about getting it broken.

She starts to say something, but I can't let her. I don't want her to feel like she has to say something. I'll ease her into it. At least that way she'll know I was expecting it.

"Listen, Zoe. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, or anything. I was just tired, and confused, and emotionally drained, and I just wanted one thing to go my way," I'm rambling now, "And if you want me to leave I'll understand." I feel like I'm going o cry, but I try not to. I close my eyes, and think 'You're a son of Hades, you fought in a war with Titans, and your sister died. You can handle this. It's just some girl that doesn't like you back. Big deal. You've got bigger problems. One girl isn't going to make a difference.' But my heart wasn't buying it. It knew it was going to get broken. It knew Zoe was amazing. It knew there would never be another her. Even though my heart was thoroughly depressed, my brain managed to hold back the tears, even if it was only for a minute.

'Oh gods,' I thought, 'Here it comes.' but all I heard was silence. I opened my eyes and found Zoe smiling at me. "What?"

"You really thought that made me uncomfortable? Is this a joke?" She asked.

"Wait, so, you don't want me to leave?" I perked up at the thought.

"Not at all. I'd hate it if you left."

My response is a puzzled look.

"I can't believe you thought I didn't like you. Did you think I would just spill my heart out to anyone?" She questioned.

My jaw dropped. "You like me?"

Her jaw dropped, but hers said 'Are you stupid?' "Of course!"

I lay back down in the grass. Well, don't I feel blonde?


	18. Elisa's Curiosity

I don't want to waste your time, so I'll skip ahead. She kissed me, and we formed this relationship. No matter what I had to do, or where I had to go, I would find some part of my day to visit her. She was easily the person that knew me better than anyone else, but Cerberus came pretty close, as I saw him almost everyday, too. I still kept Bianca up to date on my life. I found her house in Elysium. She had a couple of friends, so she wasn't lonely when I wasn't around. Nothing had happened with my father and I so far, and I hoped I had a few, happy years before I had to deal with that. So I guess that's where I'll start.

I went to Bianca's house that day, to see her. Two of her friends were there, but they usually were, so I didn't mind. I'd gotten to know them pretty well.

There was Alexander, who was thirteen. He had red hair and blue eyes, which I always thought was odd. He was born in Idaho, in 1853. He volunteered for the civil war at the age of twelve. The army thought he could be of some use, because they were losing the war at that point. He managed to survive for a year. There was battle on the plantation of some man's farm. The armies had completely overrun the property, and Alexander was getting a six year old girl out of the battlefield. He got her out and had enough time to tell her to run before he got shot by the confederates. I joked, and told him that Bianca only liked him because he was ancient, like her. "You're just as old as me!" She said when she found out. My response was "But, you're two years older than me, so you'd be 76, and I'd only be 74!" She laughed at me."But, you lived longer than me, so I'd only be 72, and you'd be 74!" If looks could kill, she would be dead twice.

Then, there was Elisa. She was eleven, and was born in England, in 1705. She had the lightest blonde hair I'd ever seen, and her eyes were a light green. she resembled true innocence. Ever since the age of six, she would help nurse wounded animals back to health. Eventually, this turned from animals to humans. She would try her best to help them, and if she couldn't, she would stay by their side until they never woke up again. She was treating a young boy around her age with smallpox. She grew to love him, more than her other patients. She tried to help him, but he had a advanced case of the infection, and he couldn't be cured. She didn't want to live without him, so before he died, she kissed him. She got the disease, and died in 1716. she still knew the boy. They lived in a house in Elysium. The boy wasn't anything special, but the judges were so touched by Elisa's story, that they made an exception. You really couldn't help ut like her.

I was telling them about Zoe, and my last few days with her, when Elisa asked me a question, that I really wasn't sure how to answer.


	19. Impossible

"Do you love her?" Elisa asked.

"What?" I responded.

"Do you love her?"

"I don't know, I..." I wasn't sure how to answer this. I mean, I really liked Zoe, but how was I supposed to know when it turned into something more? I wasn't sure. So I couldn't just go around saying things that I didn't know were true.

"Tell me exactly what you think about her, without using the word love." She told me.

"What? That's ludicrous."

"Just do it." No matter how precious and innocent Elisa looks, she can be very threatening when she wants to be.

"Use that tone again, and I'll have you kicked out of Elysium." I joked.

She raised an eyebrow at me. "Tell me what you think about Zoe."

"She's.." Where do I start? "She's deep. She's more than she seems. I've knew her before she died, and she always seemed like a heartless monster. But she isn't. She hides her true self so she doesn't get hurt. I-" can't use the word love, "It's really nice to know there's more." Elisa shines with satisfaction at my pause. "She's sweet. She just doesn't know how to show it, while still protecting herself. She's afraid that if she opens up, she'll get rejected, so she hides it. She's like me, so she understands, and I-" still can't use the word love, "really appreciate that." Elisa's smile grows a little larger. "And I-" This is getting really annoying," really like being with her. She knows all my secrets, just like Bianca, but Zoe completely understands everything, even the things Bianca finds hard to accept. And I- Gods, Elisa! This is impossible!"

She beams at me. "You love her then?"

I think about her for a while. All her secrets. I think about her sleeping on my chest, and how she always smiles when she sees me, and how I can't help but smile back. I think about when she kisses me, and my heart seems to flutter. I think about when her tough outside melted to let me see the real Zoe. And my answer suddenly becomes clear. "I think so."


	20. My Other Sister

I made my way back to Zoe's house in Elysium. I walked into the door to immediately be greeted by her.

"Hi," She smiled at me.

"Hey," I kissed her. "I have to talk to Percy."

Her eyebrows furrowed. She knew I only went to Percy when I needed to talk to him about something important. I guess he was like a sister to me. "Why?" She asked.

"Long story. I'll tell you later." I lied.

"Okay." She said. "Be careful."

"I will."

I got my sheath and my sword, which I kept in a corner, for lack of a place to put them. I also put Backbiter there. I didn't know why, but I knew that sword had something important left to do. I couldn't tell whether it would be good or bad. The aura it put off was one of mixed emotions. Maybe it was from the war, and I was just thinking the sword had a role to play. Or maybe it foretold a bittersweet future. Like another war, and one side feels fond of the blade, while the other hates it for killing it's warriors. I wasn't sure, but I felt like I needed to keep the blade.

I turned to the door. I told Zoe goodbye one last time before I left.

I arrived at Camp Half-Blood at about seven o'clock. The camp has dinner when the sun sets, so I had about an hour and a half. I eventually found Percy on the beach. Typical half-blood child of Poseidon. I stood behind him, trying to figure out what to say. He was looking out at the ocean when he took a drink of something. I looked at the red container, and didn't need to decipher the cursive on the side to know it was none other than Coca-cola.

"Dude, is that Coke?" I said.

He spit his Coke out, and nearly had a heart attack. "Nico," He asked "why?"

I smiled at him. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"What?" He asked. "I wasn't scared! Percy Jackson,son of the Sea God, isn't scared of anything!"

"Dude, I was right here. You jumped about ten feet in the air and spit out your coke."

"Okay, you need to quit that. Why can't you show up, and start with a 'hey, how's it going?' instead of materializing out of the shadow, and scaring the life out of me? Then agian I guess that's what Hades' kids do best, huh?" He handed me a coke, and I sat down beside him.

"Next to being menacing and heartless." I said.

"Dude, you couldn't pull off heartless if you tried."

"I know," I confessed, "Actually, that's sort of what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Shoot." He told me.

"What does it feel like to be in love?" I asked him.

He cocked his head and a small smile escaped his lips. "No way. Hades' boy's in love!" He cackled "Nico's in love,Nico's in love!" He chanted as he pranced around like an idiot.

"So?" I told him. "You're in love with Annabeth!"

"Yeah, but you had everybody thinking you were a heartless, scary, killer, and now you're in love."

"Shut up, you're making a scene!" I hissed at him. I through sand at him to get him to shut up. "Nico's in- aacch!" The sand went straight into his mouth.

"Will you behave yourself?" I asked him.

He glared at me. "I guess, but I'm still making fun of you."

I rolled my eyes. "You better be good, Prissy, or I'll tell Mr. D you have cokes."

"I'll tell Clarisse you stole Prissy from her."

"Don't bother," I remarked, "She'd be happy to hear it." I glared at him.

"Good to have you back, Nico." He smiled at me.

"Percy, you're so weird."

"I know. Love is like," He put his arm around my shoulders, and guided me back to the place we'd been sitting. "this unmistakable feeling. But, it's so hard to explain. All I know is, I couldn't live without Annabeth. If she died." His eyebrows furrowed. "If she died, I would be glad you could summon the dead." He smiled a mischievous smile at me, and I easily could have mistaken him for a son of Hermes.

"Percy, are you okay?" I asked suspiciously. "I mean why are you acting so weird?"

"I had a six pack of cokes, and you only had one. And I have ADHD. I'm pretty sure this all makes sense to you. You're a smart kid."

"Percy, you're not even eighteen yet."

"Only,"He paused. "May, June, July, August. Only four months left." He smiled at me.

"You better be glad you're girlfriend's smart, Percy. But then again you wouldn't be Seaweed Brain if you weren't stupid."

"Stop insulting me kiddo."

"I have to. It's my job. You're like a sister to me." I smiled at him.


	21. With Whom

I made my way to the Athena cabin. As soon as I walked through the door, I was greeted by thousands of books, a few SMART boards, a bunch of tables that were filled with 3-D models of different buildings and a lot of mechanical robot things, that probably did an assortment of miscellaneous tasks, and finally, pushed to one side of the wall, were the beds.

"Wow," I said. This place was like a laboratory. In a camp to train for killing monsters. Where did they find time to do all this stuff when they were training all day? Maybe they had a time machine hidden in here, too.

"What are you-" Annabeth turned around. Her eyes got a little big. "Nico?" I smiled a mischievous smile. It's fun to be me. No one expects me to be around-

"What's going on? Did something bad happen?" She continued.

-unless there's a crisis.

"No, I was just looking for advice." I informed her. "Percy didn't freak out when I came up. Well, actually, he jumped up, but that was because I scared him, not because I was there."

"That's different," She protested, "Percy doesn't look for the danger, he waits for it to punch him in the face. He's annoying that way. So he'd wait for you to tell him what was going on, instead of assuming your presence meant something important. i mean, he probably had the idea in his head, but he wasn't going to jump to conclusions. No offense, but you only appear when you're needed."

"I thought that's what you loved about me." I smirked at her.

"Ha, the Nico I know would've wanted to snap my neck for saying that." She remarked.

"The Nico you know was going through the depressing times of war, now you're with care-free peaceful Nico, and he's a little more laid-back." I tell her.

"Thanks for the update, but if you were going through peaceful times, why would you need advice?" She raised an eyebrow at me.

I smiled. She really doesn't miss a thing. "I think I'm in love, but I'm not sure how to tell. I asked Percy, but he just teased me. Oh, and by the way, he had five cokes, so have fun with that."

She rolled her eyes. "Will he ever learn? Especially after what happened last time..." She trailed off. "Anyway, I'll get him back for teasing you."

"I thought Nemesis was the goddess of revenge." I said.

"Nemesis was also a daughter of Zeus." She informed me. "She and Athena have a bit in common, actually. More than you would think, anyway. But, you said you thought you were in love.. can I ask with who?"

Ha. I caught her. "With whom." I smiled at her. "You remember the girl who died a few years ago, right after you were rescued from Mount Tam?"

"Faintly. You're in love with that girl? Her name was..." She thinks.

"You got this, wise girl. Her name was Zoe. Zoe Nightshade."

"Yeah. I remember now."

I rolled my eyes. "More like I gave you the memory. But yes. I'm in love with her. I think."

"Could you live without her?" She questioned me.

"I don't have to."

"That's not the point. Could you?"

"Maybe, but it'd be hard. Really hard." I furrowed my eyebrows just thinking about it.

"Would it kill you if you couldn't see her again? I need a yes or no answer."

I thought about a life without Zoe. A world without seeing her everyday. A place where I didn't get to see her light up when she saw me. Where her smile didn't brighten my day. Where no one truly understood me. I was depressed at the thought of it. I looked at Annabeth with an expression of absolute truth and said, "Yes."


	22. I'm Bringing Prissy Back

I thanked Annabeth for everything, and walked out of the cabin. Being in love was weird for me. I didn't want to accept it, because what might happen if I'm wrong? That would be horrible. My thoughts trailed away in the dark oasis of my mind. Then a striking observation came to my attention. How am I going to tell her? My stomach fluttered as I thought about what could go wrong. There wasn't much, in fact there were only two ways the scene could play out, but one option would make me overwhelmed with joy (Me. Overwhelmed. With joy.), while the other would make me suicidal. Of course, I wouldn't kill myself because I'd still be feeling the pain, even if I was dead. The outcomes were pretty extreme. I let out an exhausted sigh. That's about when Clarisse walked by.

"Nico?" She suddenly smiled at me, "How's the killer been doing?" Yeah, they call me killer, because, well, isn't it obvious? Ever since I brought Hades and an army of the dead up from the underworld that had a big impact on 'killing' Kronos, they call me the killer. This also works well with the fact that I'm a son of Hades.

"Better than usual, but I've got a predicament. I'll figure it out. How have you been?"

"I'm doing pretty good. It's a little boring though, 'cus there's nothing to fight. You think you could send us some monsters from down below?" She smiled mischievously at me.

"Ha, I'll send new stock to Camp Half-Blood." I said. "That way, I won't get banned. I need to see the people in here sometimes."

"IM?"

"If I need to beat them up?" I was just saying something so I wouldn't have to summon monsters right here, and Clarisse would shut up.

"Oh, yeah. Can't blame you." She didn't look very satisfied. "Who do you need to beat up?"

"No one right now, but you never know who's going to need a good beating. I think Prissy's pretty close to needing it. I think I'll let him go this time. Oh, yeah, I'm talking about Percy."

"You took that from me." She accused.

"No. I'm bringing it back."

**Author's Note: **Is anyone reading this? I haven't been getting any reviews lately... If you're reading this review! Harsh critiques are accepted! Any comment is appreciated! Thanks for reading!


	23. Mirror, Mirror,on the Wall

I had to force myself into the underworld. It's weird, I had fought a thousand monsters, ruled the dead, and fought in a godly war, and this seemed like the scariest thing I'd ever do.

I prayed to Aphrodite that my heart would be protected from rejection. I never really thought I'd ever pray to Aphrodite. It's... strange. As soon as I burned the salad (Yes, salad. I wasn't sure what she would want as an offering. I mean, she's got to be on some eternal diet, right? So cake would be offensive. Or would it since it was just smoke? Gods are complicated.) I could feel eyes on me, like I was in some sort of soap opera. I wasn't sure if that meant I was protected or not, but I was sure I was being watched. I gathered all my courage and plunged into Elysium.

I went into her house, and found her waiting for me. She smiled and hugged me. As I've probably said before, I couldn't help but smile as I hugged her back. I wondered if what I was about to say was going to ruin our relationship. Hmmm... Not thinking about it. But I could understand how it could creep her out.. If someone told me they loved me, I'd be a little creeped out, too, if I didn't feel the same way. I'd just have to pray she did.

She sat down on the couch and asked me how everything went. Suddenly, I wasn't too eager to tell.

"Do you really want to know?" I smiled at her with all my might. That's about the time she got the idea something important happened.

"Nico, what is wrong?" She looked at me with concerned eyes. How was I going to get myself out of this one?

"I have something important to tell you, but I'm scared to." I was hating where this was going. I suddenly wished I was a son of Kronos, so I could move time backward.

She chuckled before saying "You? Scared?"

"Yes."

She waited for a while before saying. "Are you going to tell me?"

I thought about it. "I'm not sure yet." I chuckled through my sigh as I ran my hands through my hair.

She took my shoulders, and shook them back and forth. "Nico, you're killing me! Again! Tell me!"

I guess it's now or later. Just as I opened my mouth, later started looking like an amazing option. Oh, well. I took her hands and looked in here eyes. They began showing a little fear, mixed with anxiety. She bit her lip, and I lost almost all the willpower I obtained. "Zoe, I-" suddenly became mute. "I.." suddenly lost my voice,"I...I" lost my ability to speak. Oh, it's going to kill her if she doesn't find out soon. I took a deep breath, and said "I love you."

Her eyes widened, and she tackled me in a hug as she said, "I love you, too, Nico!"

I opened my eyes and peered at my reflection in the mirror. I was finally ready to do this.

**A/N: **I'm sitting on my bed laughing thinking about your reactions! I'm sorry you guys, but I HAD to! It was just right there, I couldn't resist. You guys vent your frustration in the comments, and tell me your reactions. I'll be laughing my quail off in the meantime. Love you! -Kyra


	24. Nico: God of the Emos

I had wondered into the house to find it empty. She probably went hunting. I looked and her bow and arrow were gone. She'll be back. So I stood in front of a mirror and thought over what was going to happen. I could feel eyes on me, but I didn't know if Aphrodite would protect me, or if she just wanted to watch how it played out. I wonder what it would be like to be a god..

My thoughts got the best of me, and I soon found myself daydreaming about what I'd be the god of. Funerals? Emos? I imagined it, 'Nico, please protect me from the emos. Thank you.' I rolled my eyes. You wouldn't need protection from emos unless your a prep, and if you're a prep, there's no use praying to me. Unless you're a nice prep, like Silena. I should visit her. I mean, she's probably got thousands of friends, seeing how she makes them so easily, and she's also got Beckondorf, but I bet she'd like to see someone who's alive, to let her now we haven't forgotten about her. I never really knew her, but maybe I should bring Clarisse down here...

Just as I was thinking about how that would turn out, Zoe walked in. She had her bow across her back next her her quiver, and she was holding a little statue of a silver deer. The deer she hunts apparently retracted into a little statue when she said 'retract' and when she said 'dilate' it would turn into a life-size deer. The magic was also adapted to her voice, so no one could steal the deer and use it. She smiled when she saw me, and put her bow, quiver, and deer in their places on the wall. She hugged me, and I hugged her back.

I said "So, how was hunting?"

She looked disappointed. She replied with "Easy."

I chuckled. "Easy? The freaking thing's invisible!"

She smirked, "It's not my fault I have skills." Her accent was getting more and more modern everyday. I smiled at that.

"Zoe? I've got something to tell you."

You could see her growing curious. "Okay..." She said.

I looked in her eyes, and my fear melted. It was Zoe I was talking to, I could trust her with anything. I heard myself telling her "I love you." No kidding, it was that easy. I felt stupid for being nervous this whole time.

Then I remembered I wasn't afraid of telling her, I was afraid of her response.


	25. One and a Half Forevers

It seemed like it had been a thousand years of silence before she reacted. She stared at me for a while, and I wished I could read minds. I waited with anxiety, excitement, and eagerness, all mixed into one almost everlasting emotion. I waited, and waited, and waited. I'm not sure what was running through her head, but it took an eternity for her to sort out her thoughts. After one and a half forevers, she said "I can't believe it."

"Well, I'm glad it took you seven years to come up with that witty piece of poetry." I smiled at her, jokingly.

She responded with a blushing face, and looked down. I put a finger under her chin, and guided her eyes to meet mine. "I love you, Zoe," I repeated, feeling a sudden burst of confidence strike through me, "I don't care if you love me back or not, as long as you remember that." She had tears welling in her eyes, but was smiling. "Did I hit a nerve?" I asked, leaning closer to her. She chuckled.

She leaned her head against my shoulder and closed her eyes."Nico?" She asked.

"Yeah?" I leaned my head on hers, wondering what Aphrodite would rate this on the sweet-moments scale. 6? 7? I don't know, maybe I'll ask her. I'll call her up. Ha.

"I love you, too." I smiled. What a day.


	26. Dejavu

Another jump farther into the future. Three months after I admitted my love for Zoe, and she admitted hers for me, I began getting frustrated that Zoe had to stay in Elysium. I had to go search for Percy, so I was gone for weeks at a time. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind searching for Percy, but I hate leaving Zoe alone. She still didn't have any friends, and I doubted she was making any. I was wondering, why can't I bring her back to life? Then we would have an extra person looking for Percy, and Zoe wouldn't have to be alone. No, I haven't forgotten what happened last time. I'm sure my powers have grown since then. I'm also sure there's another way to bring her back to life. It's just a matter of finding it...


	27. Ritual, Riches, and Rejection

"Okay, Zoe, now put the drachmas in the pot." There was a sound of rustling and then metal clanging against metal."

"Are you sure this is enough drachmas?" She asked sarcastically.

"I wanted to make sure it would work. I didn't want to get through the ritual and you still be dead."

"With this many riches, there's no way it could be ignored."

"That's what I was going for." I'd been collecting everything valuable I could get my hands on for weeks. I had rubies, diamonds, emeralds, and every other gem you can imagine. And a hundred you can't. Drachmas were just topping it off. They were like the cherry on top of my sundae of fortunes. The best part? In the book we found that told us exactly how to bring Zoe up from the dead, (I'm not telling you where I found it. I don't need some mortal finding the Guide to Death.) it told us that we didn't need to make the whole sacrifice to Thanatos, the minor god of the dead, but to Hades, because he was the one who controlled the portal. This was going to be amazing. Even if Thanatos told us Zoe couldn't be brought back to life, he could be overruled by the Olympians, and he would have to let her soul merge back into her body.

"What now?" Zoe asked.

"We put on the personal things people gave us, because they're the most important." I took out a bag with several necklaces, bracelets, rings, and a variety of other things that people had given us. I had mostly gotten the gems from my wonderful powers, because since Hades is also the god of wealth, I could make any jewel appear at my command. Although I did get some of the things from other people, because I can't summon something personal. I tenderly put the personal belongings in the cauldron with everything else.

I started chanting and after I finished the chant, everything vanished except the things that had been from me. I knew they had gone back to the people they were from, and there was only one immortal being who could have done that.


	28. Ichor

"Hades!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. He materialized next to me. I know people say I do that, but they've obviously never seen him do it. Darkness morphed to from the shape of a face, and then took his features. Soon, the form of Hades loomed over me, completely solid.

"Yes?" Oh, no he did not.

"Who do you think you are?Wait, no, don't answer that. You arrogant, heartless, evil, soulless, blister upon the face of all things righteous! Why would you do that? What's wrong with you? You denied my sacrifice. Do you know how hard I worked for that? That took forever, you know, in ADHD godling time. Then you show up, and don't even say 'hi' to your only living son! You say 'yes?' like your some god!" I blinked as I realized what I just said. The irony.

"In case you missed it," He said calmly, "I AM a god." He smirked.

"Yes, I realize." I glared at him, and he looked unsettled; at least, for a moment, then he glared at me with the same glare, magnified. I made Hades uncomfortable, that's the equivalent of making the Spartan army quiver in fear.

"You've been practicing."

"I guess it runs in the family," I replied venomously. He chuckled. Then he changed the subject.

"I'm not heartless, or soulless, you know."

"Oh, yeah? How?"

"I loved your mother didn't I? Last time I talked to Aphrodite, she confirmed it was completely love, not her illusions making me love her." The mere mentioning of my mother made me lose all concentration I'd gathered. His goal was achieved, but I wasn't giving up.

"If you're not heartless, then why did you reject my offer?" I kept glaring at him. I would not crumble. I was like a rock. I can out-stubborn him any day.

He gave me a sad smile, and it's a rare occasion when Hades smiles. It's also one of the most deceiving things I've ever witnessed in my life. It can make you feel warm, and complete. When Death smiles at you, you feel like the world is a perfect place, and like your life is perfect. Can I deceive people that way? That could be a very handy ability...

"Because," His voice startled me out of my thoughts, "It doesn't work that way." I almost objected, but he held up his hand. "You did find the Guide to Death, but I will not let her, " he glanced behind me and smiled, knowing the effect it would have, "leave Elysium."

"You have to!" I shouted at him.

"Why is that, Nico?" Suddenly a flood a memories came rushing in. The memories were old, from when I was a baby. Every flashback had Hades in it, he and my mother. They were happy memories of love. I'll sort through them later. He must have been hiding them from me. He must have saved them for an occasion where he would really need them.

"Because the Guide to the Dead said so. You signed it in blood."


	29. New Ambition

He glanced at the ichor, his ichor, the ichor which half of my bloodstream is made of, and is in my DNA make-up. He looked at the neat cursive, spelling Hsead, which,when translated, spells Hades. He thought about what it meant, how it would affect him and his plans to ruin my month. Eventually, he looked at me. He scanned me, as if memorizing every aspect of my entire being.

"I refuse to compromise," He said, and before I could shout at him for cheating, he whispered an ancient greek word. It obviously meant silence, because as soon as he said it, I could no longer speak.

"You just don't understand the way of things. The Fates have chosen the way all of eternity will play out, and it all happens for a reason. I've kept these memories from you, because this is when you will need them most. I can't say more than that. I'm sorry she can't rise from the dead, but these memories will help you, how do you put it, not hate me. I'm sorry she can't rise from the dead, but this is just how it works. Just like the rest of history, everything must turn out as planned." He paused, and stared at me, with eyes that were memorizing me, and searching my soul. After a while, he looked in my eyes, and said "Nico, you're my son. Through all of this, there's one thing I want you to remember. I love you, no matter what I do, whatever you do, I love you."

He was gone. He had left me, with new found memories, knowledge of his love, and a new ambition.

"What are you going to do?" Zoe asked.

"I'm going to Olympus."


	30. All Opposed?

The Olympians towered above me, obviously irked by my interrupting their day. Hermes sat on his throne looking like a mouse who was having a panic attack. ares looked like he wanted to run me over and get it over with. The only Goddesses with any hint of patience in their eyes were Aphrodite, Artemis, and Hestia. I guess Aphrodite already knew what I was here for, Hestia had always been patient as far as I had noted, and Artemis was just patient an gentle.

Zeus called for order and I approached his throne. "Uncle, I come here to ask you and the other Olympians your opinions," I glanced back at the others, "on what is right and what is wrong." I recalled what had happened putting in every detail. After I finished my tale, Aphrodite was the first to speak up. "Love is the worthiest of causes. I think it's unfair that the poor boy can't be with the one he loves because of something as unimportant as death." I give her seven points out of ten. Death is pretty important, but I doubt she would ever understand how. Athena addressed them next, without a single glance at me. "I do think he has the right to experience love, along with every other creature with a soul, but it isn't our territory. Therefore, we have no say in the dilemma." She racked up three points, love is a force to be reckoned with. Hermes contributed by saying, "Four-hundred and eighty-six missed calls?" This was immediately followed by a rumble of thunder and Zeus' commanding voice saying "No phones during a council meeting!" Artemis said "Zoe was a great girl with a good heart. If anyone deserves to escape the grasp of death it's her."

It seems no one else had anything different to say, but it was clear they had already made up their minds. Zeus' voice filled Olympus as he said "All in favor of letting the boy's love live again?" Aphrodite raised her hand, and I knew I had tun out of luck. "All opposed?" Everyone except Aphrodite raised their hand.


	31. Hellhounds:Tamed::Hades:Convincible

"What are you going to do now?" Zoe asked.

"I don't know." I felt so defeated. I felt like I'd just had my heart crushed on, lit on fire, and then someone stomped the fire out. After all that, someone can only imagine how numb I felt, but I wasn't going to be lucky enough to stay numb for long. Already, I could feel the pain awaking as the situation became more and more real. Zoe leaned against my chest, obviously feeling that I wasn't taking this well. The only reason I wasn't going ballistic was because I was numb. "I wish Hades would let you leave the Underworld. The Olympians said it was his decision, not theirs. If I could only convince him..." I sighed and leaned my forehead against the top of Zoe's head. Persuading Hades was about as easy as taming a hellhound, but it could be done. And I could be very convincing.


	32. Playing Dirty

I approached the castle wondering how I was going to make this work. How am I going to convince Hades that he should let Zoe leave the Underworld? How do you go about trying to convince someone that they should do something, when they've never had to do anything they didn't want to before? My heart started sinking, and I knew I had to pull it back up. 'No,' I told myself, 'No, it can be done. He's just like anyone else, he can be persuaded.' I strode up to the palace, a new found determination rising in me. The least I could do was try, if I didn't there was no hope that Zoe would ever be out of the Underworld. It couldn't get worse than that.

The doors grew larger as I got closer. I didn't bother knocking; he wouldn't come. I threw open the doors and marched in. The skeletal soldiers looked at me from all sides, but it didn't bother me. This wasn't about them, it was between me and my father. He was going to change the rules, even if I had to force him. I reached his empty throne and knew he left as soon as he knew I was coming.

"You." I pointed to the skeleton of a Korean soldier, "Where did Hades go?" He made a series of scratching and hissing noises that translated as "He left, my lord. I do not know where, he simply vanished. One minute he was on his throne, the next he had left." I dismissed him. "HADES! COME BACK AND FACE ME! STOP AVOIDING ME, YOU COWARD!"

I blinked and then he was there. About time. "You called?" There was no sign of anger or any emotion on his face, he just stood there calmly.

"I want you to let Zoe leave. I want you to grant her her life back."

"I can't do that."

"Why not? I sneered.

"Because it's my choice, and I'm not going to change the course of nature just because you are my son. We Gods aren't supposed to play favorites, now, are we?" You could plainly see his feeling of annoyance. His thoughts were easily read by the expression on his face.

"It's not only because I'm your son, although that's a great excuse all on its own. She's too young to be dead-"

"She was immortal! She's not REALLY 14, she only look that way!"

"Well, she did good things! It doesn't matter how old she is, she has an amazing personality, and she didn't deserve to die!"

"Everyone dies, she was put in Elysium because of her good deeds and personality."

What did I get my self into? "Well, she... she didn't... she wasn't," i stuttered and then my voice became clear as I finally found a legit reason for her to return from the dead, or, at least, it seemed that way, "I'm in love with her! I'm not happy without her, and I helped the Gods win the war! She should come back from the dead because I earned love!"

"Everyone is unhappy at one point or another, we can't change the laws if the universe because one is unhappy." He seemed to have softened, but I wasn't sure why. Perhaps he felt sympathy for me. Then it hit me, he had to give up his love because she died. He went through something similar to this. I suddenly felt a sorry for him, but I had to find a way for Zoe to come back to life.

"A duel."

"What?" He seemed to have come out of a daze, his mind fogged.

"A duel. If I win Zoe gets to come back to life."

"Nico, please." He shook his head as if trying to shake the nonsense out of mine. "Nico, you don't know what you're talking about. I'm a God, you're a-"

"Demigod. A half-God, which means I have half your powers, and half your strengths. I've also got strengths you don't. I think we'd be about even."

"Nico your being foolish. Do you hear yourself? You find yourself equal to a God, that's unhealthy. You-"

"Are you scared? I really thought Hades would be braver than that." I teased, knowing he wouldn't stand a chance.

"Fine," He barked, "fine, I'll fight you. If you win, Zoe can come back to life until you die. If I win, I get something I want."

"What do you want?" I interrogated. I wanted to know what I was getting myself into.

"I'm not sure yet. I'll tell you when I win." He waved dismissively as I tried to question him further. I scowled. Fine, if he wanted to play dirty, I could play dirty. I just had to find out how.

I pulled my sword from it's sheath, and realized in my hustle to reach the castle, I had grabbed Backbiter, instead. I guess this was my version of playing dirty. I smiled at the sword, pondering whether r not Hades would recognize it. When I looked up, he had his gaze down to Backbiter.

"That was Kronos's scythe." He observed.

"Yep." I said conversationally. "Well I suppose we should start. He took his eyes off of Backbiter with some effort and I looked dead into his eyes.

"I suppose."

And so the duel began.


	33. Help

He began the duel by summoning a dozen undead soldiers. I summoned twenty skeleton warriors to attack him personally, and I took on the twelve myself. I think this took him by surprise, but I couldn't tell, as I was surrounded by dead Confederates. I stabbed them all with Backbiter, and they burst into flames. Hades was almost as far along, but he had only one skeleton left attacking him. I summoned twelve more before he could even look up. My lack of energy was starting to get to me, and I didn't know what I was going to do. Truth finally reached me and I realized just how stupid this duel was. He was Hades, and I was his son, he knew most of my tricks, because they were his. What other tricks did I have, what advantages? What was I thinking when I got myself into this? I'm going to lose. What weakness did Hades have? I couldn't think of any, or rather, any that would help me. He had almost overtaken all twenty of the skeletons. 'Help, help, help' I prayed.


	34. The Duel

He advanced, and I couldn't think of what I was going to do. I needed a plan, no matter how crazy. I needed something that would take him off guard. Then I could attack. I'd send thirty skeletal soldier at him, and then stab him. I would be the winner. I would have Zoe with me all the time, alive, and everything would be fine. Only problem was, what would I say to distract him? I don't suppose just saying 'stop' would be sufficient, but I said that anyway.

"Stop," He continued to advance. Nice job, Sherlock, what are you gonna do next? "What would Maria say?" He froze, looking shocked.

"What did you just say?" Hades snarled, looking outraged.

"What would Maria say," I continued, "if she saw you dueling your own son? What would she say if she saw you giving him no mercy, when his only request is that you bring his love back to life? She loved you, she knew how it felt. She would've been crushed if you had left her. She would have sympathy. How could you overpower your own son, and take away the love of his life? What would she think about that?"

He looked like he wanted to murder me, but I'd achieved my goal, he was distracted. The only problem was it wouldn't feel right, re-opening an old, deep wound, and then attacking him, and so I stood there.

"I know what she would say. She would give you sympathy, and grant you exactly what you want. She didn't understand that there are certain rules us Gods have to abide by-"

"The Olympians said you could bring her back to life if you wanted! The rules didn't stop you when Orpheus came along! Why is that, exactly?"

"He was kind-hearted, with only love in his mind. He had charm, and didn't force me to do anything. He most certainly didn't mention an old love ,solely for the purpose of distracting me!" His face was contorted with rage, and if he was staring at anyone but me, they would have curled up in the corner and begged for death. However, I was immune to this look, for reasons I might never know.

I took advantage of the silent moment, and ran forward, sword raised. I brought the sword down, only to be thrown back. No hand had hit me, but something like a forcefield had shielded Hades from the sword. In a millisecond, he had rushed forward, and sank a blade into my hand. The pain seared through me like poison. My whole arm was burning, and my sight was slightly blurred from the hot tears streaming down my face. It's funny how when you're in pain, all of your senses increase tenfold. Even the tears felt like tiny daggers stabbing at my eyes. The pain was excruciating, and it seemed to get worse as the second went by. I felt the blade leave my hand, but I couldn't force myself to look at either of them. I sensed the absence of feeling in a two inch slit running down my palm. The rest of my hand and arm was filled with searing pain. I could feel a cool liquid running down my hand, and I insistently knew it was blood. Suddenly, a thought occurred to me. Had I brought any ambrosia with me? I reached into my pocket with my hand and my fist closed around a small bag. I brought out the bag and opened it with my teeth, then took out two squares and let the ambrosia melt in my mouth. I became oblivious to to the pain, and it just seemed to fade from my mind. Then feeling came back into the two inch slit in my hand, and I knew it was safe to look at again.

I got up, and put the ambrosia back into my pocket. I glared at Hades, finally realizing what had happened. He had won, and I wasn't going to be able to buy a house and live in it with Zoe; I'd have to come to the Underworld to see her. Hades still looked a little enraged about the conversation, and I still had wet tears on my cheeks. "Alright, you won. What do you want?"

When he spoke you could hear the rage, hurt, and sorrow in his voice. "Just get out. Leave the Underworld, and never come back."


	35. The Dream

Hades had given me thirty minutes to clear out. "I'm sorry," I told Zoe for the fifteenth time, "I didn't know he was going to want that." She hugged me for the nineteenth time, and I hated knowing that in... two minutes and 53 seconds I would have to leave. So I sat there, telling her how much I was going to miss her, and giving her a lifetime of hugs, until my watch clicked and I had to leave. I walked out of the Underworld glumly and solitarily, all the joy I had built up had been leaking underneath my skin and into my attitude, as Annabeth had noted several times, but know I was felt more alone than I had when I walked into the Underworld that day. I wished I had someone to talk to, and I wished it were Percy. I close my eyes and imagined him there, standing like Percy, sadly smiling like Percy would have, and then he started talking, just like Percy would have.

"Percy, I'm so alone, and sad, and I missed her, and I'm only half-way through walking away. What am I going to do?" I heard my self sob outloud, and just as plain as it would have been if he were there, Percy answered,

"Everything will work itself out, somehow, one day, Hades will give in, and everything will be fine. You'll be able to talk to her again, and you can visit her everyday. But for now, Nico, you have to get yourself a fucking cough drop, the ones with a pep talk in every drop, and get on with your life." He seemed like regular old Percy, just as I remembered him, just like I would always remember him. If Percy hadn't have been kidnapped, I would have believed Percy was standing there in front of me. I was afraid of opening my eyes, tough, because I knew I would fin only air. I would also remember Percy for having all the answers, even if he didn't know it, because I had found mine in his speech.

"Thank you, Percy, I hope they find you, I really do."

Far away, Percy Jackson was having a strange dream about a boy who looked eerily familiar. He reflected the dark, dark hair, dark eyes, and Percy would have believed him to have a dark soul, if he hadn't have been sobbing his eyes out. Somewhere in his subconscious, Percy knew exactly what the boy was talking about and, to Percy's horror, he heard himself giving advice. He felt bad for the boy, but not the way you would feel bad for a stranger, he felt like this were an old friend, one who he deeply cared about. Percy gathered several things from the conversation, first that he knew th boy. Percy also found that everyone he used to kn ow was looking for him, which didn't comfort him at all, because that meant no one on earth knew where he was at. He also gathered that this boy's name was Nico, because that was what he called him. This name brought up so many emotions, and Percy wasn't sure what to think. Among the bunch, he felt betrayal, but he as sure he trusted this Nico, and that if Nico had cared enough to call on him for advice, he must care about Percy, too.


	36. The End

I stood there, preparing myself for what I had to do. I thought about things, so many things, and it's impossible to say how long I stood there. I finally swallowed nervously, and peered down at the sword in my hand. I knew it had a purpose, one that went farther than it's history. Now that I stood there, knowing what had to happen, the mixed aura seemed so obvious. It was quite obvious why it felt bittersweet in my hand. There were people other than myself who would feel the consequences of this act. I felt bad for them, but I had to be with Zoe. It would kill me if I wasn't. Surely they could understand, Percy would, even if no one else did. Well, he would eventually, once he got his memory back.

I was still immensely scared, but I talked myself into it. 'It's going to be easy, all you have to do is stab. It's one, simple motion. You can do this.' Then I remembered something I had thought earlier. 'The easiest part of life is death...Life isn't fair, death is.' Then, with one quick, swinging stab, and a sickening ripping noise, it was done. I took the blade out of my stomach, pain completely engulfing me. I sucked to the ground, and screams and sobs rang in my ears, but I knew they belonged to me. A huge hole in my stomach was drenching my cloths with warm, sticky, red liquid that I knew all too well as blood. I could feel the life seeping out of me, and everything was suddenly peaceful. I could still feel the excruciating pain all over my body, but it wasn't the same as it used to be. It's almost impossible to explain, but I felt at peace. I was on my way. With one last breath, my vision became lined with red and black, and I died.


End file.
